Abstract/Summary

Four Gram-positive-staining, strictly anaerobic, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped organisms were isolated from a pig manure storage pit. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the isolates belonged to two related but distinct groups. Sequence analysis showed that the two groups of isolates were highly related to each other (approx. 97% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), forming a distinct cluster within the Clostridium coccoides suprageneric rDNA grouping. Biochemical and physiological studies confirmed the division of the isolates into two related, albeit distinct, groups. Based on both phenotypic and phylogenetic evidence, it is proposed that the unidentified rod-shaped isolates from pig manure should be classified in a novel genus, Hespellia gen. nov., as Hespellia stercorisuis sp. nov. and Hespellia porcina sp. nov. The type species of the novel genus is H. stercorisuis (type strain, PC18(T) = NRRL B-23456(T) = CCUG 46279(T) = ATCC BAA-677(T)) and the type strain of H. porcina is PC80(T) (= NRRL B-23458(T) = ATCC BAA-674(T)).